Elemental titanium is an allotropic material. With proper conditioning, a sample of elemental titanium exists as a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) crystalline phase at ambient temperatures and pressures referred to as the alpha-phase. When the temperature of such sample is increased to around 890 degrees Celsius, a body-centered cubic (BCC) crystalline phase begins to form that remains stable to titanium's melting temperature of 1668 degrees Celsius. This BCC phase is known as the beta-phase. Alloying elements, such as aluminum or germanium, may be added to such sample to increase or depress its alpha-to-beta phase transition temperature. However, the alpha-phase and beta-phase crystalline phases always coexist to some degree if such sample is heated to or above a certain temperature coinciding with its alpha-to-beta phase transition temperature. When a sample contains both alpha and beta phases, it is referred to as dual-phase titanium.
Literature reports that dual-phase titanium alloy samples are susceptible to the formation of a beta-phase interspersed with large, commonly oriented regions of alpha-phase particles known as micro-textured regions (MTR). While not conclusive, literature suggests that the formation of such MTRs may lead to a reduction in such samples' fatigue life during dwell loading. Literature additionally proposes that this reduction occurs when the samples are exposed to temperatures less than or equal to about 200 degrees Celsius when coupled with a stress level of 0.60 of the samples' yield strength.
Different systems, such as X-ray crystallography machines, exist that can confirm the presence MTRs. However, such systems are not designed to characterize and quantify the shape, size, density and orientation of MTRs in samples. Instead, X-ray topography systems are better suited to undertake such analyses. Yet, X-ray topography systems are not without their limitations. Known X-ray topography systems may incorporate the necessary resolution to characterize and quantify the shape, size, density and orientation of MTRs in samples, but are best suited for use in a low-throughput, research-based environment. Other known X-ray topography systems include the speed necessary for a manufacturing environment, but lack the resolution necessary to characterize and quantify the shape, size, density and orientation of MTRs in samples. Thus a need exists for an X-ray topography system that combines the resolution found in research-based machinery with the greater speed necessary for manufacturing environments. The present disclosure is directed toward this end.